Two-wheeled vehicle



M.BARNHS. TWO WHEELED VEHICLE.

(No Model.)

Patented J "17,1883;

- Inventor UNITED STATES "PATENT OF ICE.

. MONROE BARNES, on BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

,TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE.

SPEGIFICATIONfOrming part of Letters Patent No. 281,429, dated July 17,1883.

Application filed March 1, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONROE BARNES, of Bloomington, in the county ofMcLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements inDriving-0arts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of twowheeled driving-carts whereinthe body or seat is hinged to the frame at its forward end and sustainedat its rear end by means of a transverse spring.

My improvement consists, mainly, in suspending the ends of thetransverse spring by means of pendent links adapted to swing forward andbackward, so that as the seat rises and falls and swings around theforward hinge as a center, the links permit the ends of the spring toswing therewith without the application of torsional strain thereto. Inthis manner 'I avoid the lateral and twisting strains otherwise appliedto the spring, lessen the danger of its breakage, and secure a fareasier motion of the parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a bottom plan of myimproved cart; Fig. 2, aside elevation of the same; Fig. 3, aperspective View of one end of the spring and its suspending devices.Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 3 y, Fig. 1, looking forward.

Referring to the drawings,A represents the axle, mounted at its ends inwheels B. To opposite ends of the axle I secure rigidly the two shaftsor thills 0, connected by rigid cross-bar D, and strengthened by meansof brace-rods E, extending forward from their rear ends.

F represents the seat and body connected at the forward end by its rigidarms a to the plate I) on the under side of the cross-bar by means ofhorizontal pivots c. As shown, the connection is such as to allow therear end of the body to swing vertically aroundthe pivots c as centers,but preventing it from swinging in any other direction. a series ofholes to receive the pivotpins, thus permitting the body to be adjustedforward and backward to adapt the cart for carrying different weights.It is manifest that instead of having the series-of holes in the arms athe same result may be obtained by forming a series of pivot-holes inthe plates 12. The rear end of the body is carried by an arched orsemi-elliptical spring, H, secured rigidly across The arms a areprovided with its under side, and suspended at its two ends by pendentlinks or arms I, attached to the thills. The peculiar arrangement ofthese links forms the essential feature of my invention. As shown in theseveral figures, each link is attached at its upper end by means of aneyebolt, d, which permits the lower end of the link to swing forward andbackward, or, in other words, in the line of travel. lower end each linkis connected by a pivot, e, lying transversely of the cart, to the upperend of the two plates f, the lower ends of which are connected by alongitudinal pivot, g, to the end of the spring which is seated thereon.It will be observed that the pivots g and 6 lie at right angles to eachother, and that, in connection with the link swinging in the directionstated, they permit the ends of the spring to swing downward and forwardwith the body without being twisted.

Attempts have been made to connect the spring with the thills by meansof double shackles, which could not swing forward and backward. Theresult was that the spring was twisted, strained, and clamped, itsaction rendered stiff and harsh, and the breakage and displacement ofits'leaves endangered, all of which evils are avoided by myconstruction. In place of the two plates f, a coupling made in a singlepiece may be employed.

Good results may be secured when the pivots 0 are omitted and the lowerend of the link I forked and connected directly to the ends of thepivots 9; but the construction shown is preferred.

While the drawings represent the spring as located in advance of theaxle, it is to be understood that the thills or arms thereon may beextended beyond the axle to suspend the links and spring inrear of thesame.

The present invention is restricted to those matters and things whichare hereinafter claimed, and as to all matters which may be described orshown, but which are not claimed, the right is reserved to make the samethe subject of a separate patent.

Regarding the operation of my improved structure, two essential pointsare to be noted: first, that the spring-sustaining links adapted toswing forward and backward, or, in other words, in the line in which thevehicle travels, admit of the ends of the spring swinging down! At theward and forward with the body as the latter is depressed without theapplication of a torsional or twisting strain to the spring; and,second, that the combination of the forwardlyswinging links and theirjointed connection with the spring admit of the body being adjustedforward and backward to maintain a proper balance of the vehicle whenused for carrying different weights, without effecting IO the torsionalstrain of the spring, which would otherwise occur as a result of suchadjustment. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. Thecombination of the wheeled frame, 11118 body connected at its forwardends to said frame by transverse hinges, the arched spring securedtransversely to and beneath the body, and the pendent links suspendingthe ends of the spring from the frame, and jointed, as described, toswing forward and backward with the ends of the spring, whereby atorsional strain of the spring is prevented.

2. The wheeled main frame, in combination with the body F, the hingesuniting the forward end of the body and the frame, the links I,suspended from the frame and adapted to swing forward and backward, andthe plates f, connected to the spring and the links, re spectively, bypivots g and a, lying at right angles to each other.

3. The combination of the wheeled frame, the body, the connecting-hingeadapted, as described, to permit the forward and backward adjustment ofthe body with respect to the frame, the arched spring H, securedtransversely to the body, and the links I, jointed to the spring and thebody and adapted to swing forward and backward in the line of travel,whereby the longitudinal adjustment of the body is prevented fromtwisting the spring.

MONROE BARNES.

Witnesses:

JOHN T. ARMs, CHARLES M. McCooK.

